Tabernanthe iboga (iboga) is an indigenous plant in Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. Its root bark contains the psychoactive substance ibogaine, an indole alkaloid that “packs a serious psychedelic wallop” and reportedly acts on the brain “like a hybrid of PCP and LSD”. The cover story of this month titled: “Pharmaceutical Roots: ‘Breaking open the head’ with ibogaine hydrochloride” contributed by LGC Mikromol. Although ibogaine has been illegal in the US since 1967, both anecdotal reports and research studies suggest it is a highly promising candidate as a treatment for addiction. For example, one small, year-long study in New Zealand reported significant success in keeping opioid-dependent participants off drugs. Meanwhile, a programme that treated 51 US combat veterans for trauma-related psychological and cognitive impairment with ibogaine and 5-methoxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine reported “significant and very large reductions” in a range of symptoms, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The edition has a featured article entitled “Speeding up development of a hypoallergenic haircare formulation” contributed by Asynt.